What Are Birth Mother Expenses?

When a Birth Mother reaches out to an adoption professional for help creating her
adoption plan, she is typically in a situation where she will need some financial
support for her pregnancy-related expenses, if allowed by state law. Usually, the
Adoptive Families will be the ones responsible for providing the Birth Mother with
reasonable pregnancy-related expenses. Since the Adoptive Families are responsible
for these payments, many are curious about what exactly this cost entails and what
it will ultimately mean going forward with the adoption. Even though most Adoptive
Families understand a Birth Mother’s financial needs and have it in their hearts
to help their Birth Mother, they also need to know what specific payments are
ahead since there are so many other fees associated with the adoption process.
While every state has its laws and regulations regarding
adoption expenses,
here are some general things you should know about the expenses you may need to
cover on the Birth Mother's behalf, as allowed by state law.

Most Common Birth Mother Expenses:

Maternity-related medical and hospital costs

Temporary living expenses of the mother during her pregnancy

Counseling fees

Attorney and legal fees

Travel costs of the Birth Mother to and from the doctor

Maternity-Related Medical and Hospital Cost

Most Birth Mothers will have Medicaid or insurance that will cover their medical
expenses during their pregnancy and after the birth. However, if they do not,
the Adoptive Parents will need to be prepared to pay these expenses. Medical and
hospital costs may cover everything from the beginning of the pregnancy, with
prenatal and doctor visits, through the delivery of the baby.

Temporary Living Expenses

Financial assistance for a Birth Mother’s living expenses will vary based on her
stage of pregnancy and state or county in which she lives in. In terms of what is
actually paid for when considering adoption living expenses, these expenses are
usually limited to housing, basic utilities, food and maternity clothes. While you
will not always expect to cover all of these expenses, these are the kinds of
things you may be requested to help out with in the adoption process depending on
your Birth Mother’s state laws. Most states will also allow the Adoptive Parents
to provide financial support during their Birth Mother’s recovery for a specified
period of time after the baby is born.

Counseling Fees

A Birth Mother’s decision to create an adoption plan for her baby will be one of
the most difficult decisions she will have to make. Her adoption story also will
not end after the birth, but will continue as she begins to heal, physically,
mentally and emotionally after the birth and adoptive placement. Post-adoption
Birth Mother counseling
is optional but many women find it helpful to speak to a professional when they’re
struggling with grief and trying to adjust to life after the child’s adoption is
finalized. Most adoption professionals, including Adoption Network Law Center,
will require the Adoptive Parents to set aside funds dedicated towards their
Birth Mother’s counseling.

Attorney and Legal Fees

Adoptive Parents will cover the Birth Parents separate attorney fees to ensure
the legal rights of the Birth Parents have been properly terminated.

Travel cost

Some Birth Mothers do not have reliable transportation. If allowed by state law,
you may be able to provide financial support for a mobile car service or bus
passes to help them get to their doctor appointments or to the grocery store.

Financial Protection for Adoptive Parents

Unfortunately, adoption disruptions are a reality. While there is no way to
guarantee against a Birth Mother changing her mind, Adoption Network Law Center
stands by its commitment to provide every Adopting Family with services until a
successful adoption is achieved. Unlike most adoption entities, in certain
adoption disruption situations, Adoption Network Law Center also offers financial
protection to Adoptive Parents for specific Birth Mother living expenses that were
paid during the adoption opportunity.

Birth Mother Scams

Many hopeful Adoptive Parents have heard the stories of adoption scams. It is
important to know that there is a difference between a Birth Mother changing her
mind and a Birth Mother who accepts money with no intention to place, or a woman
who is posing as a Birth Mother but is not even pregnant. Committing an adoption
scam is a criminal activity and in recent years, women have been prosecuted and
charged for this fraudulent behavior.

What one Adoptive Family will pay in Birth Mother expenses will be different from
another’s depending on the Birth Mother’s needs and the laws of her state. Your
adoption professional will be able to give you a range of what to be prepared for
when you first begin your adoption journey. When you are selected by a Birth
Mother, your adoption professional will then be able to break down your Birth
Mother’s expenses in more detail.